NetGuard - no-root firewall

Marcel Bokhorst, FairCode BV

In-app purchases

About this app

NetGuard provides simple and advanced ways to block access to the internet - no root required.

Applications and addresses can individually be allowed or denied access to your Wi-Fi and/or mobile connection.

Blocking access to the internet can help:

• reduce your data usage
• save your battery
• increase your privacy

Features:

• Simple to use
• No root required
• 100% open source
• No calling home
• No tracking or analytics
• No advertisements
• Actively developed and supported
• Android 5.1 and later supported
• IPv4/IPv6 TCP/UDP supported
• Tethering supported
• Optionally allow when screen on
• Optionally block when roaming
• Optionally block system applications
• Optionally notify when an application accesses the internet
• Optionally record network usage per application per address
• Material design theme with light and dark theme

PRO features:

• Log all outgoing traffic; search and filter access attempts; export PCAP files to analyze traffic
• Allow/block individual addresses per application
• New application notifications; configure NetGuard directly from the notification
• Display network speed graph in a status bar notification
• Select from five additional themes in both light and dark version

There is no other no-root firewall offering all these features.

If you have a question or problem, you can send an e-mail to [e-mail]

If you like to help people less fluent in English, you can help translate NetGuard in your language: https://crowdin.com/project/netguard/

If you like to test new features, you can participate in the test program: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/eu.faircode.netguard

All required permissions are described here: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/blob/master/FAQ.md#user-content-faq42

NetGuard uses the Android VPNService to route traffic to itself, so it can be filtered on-device instead of on a server. Only one app can use this service at the same time, which is a limitation of Android.

The source code is available here: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

Ratings and reviews

It's free and works great. However, the app often shutdowns (or sleeps) with modern Android devices which then disables the firewall. The Android OS sometimes will shutoff the app after a long period of inactivity or if lack of RAM (even with Android battery optimizations turned off for the app). The app also doesn't automatically start up on some Android devices after rebooting or turning on. Please update the app to FORCE Android OS to always keep the app active while in the background.

Not only does this Netguard stop annoying ads in some apps, but by stopping them it keeps apps from frying your phone! Apparently getting ads uses all your RAM & increases the temp on your phone! Some apps won't run at all without network connection, but that isn't the fault of Netguard. This is a very intelligent app with a ton of amazing features that can help you keep your phone in YOUR control only! Check out all the features! This app does more than promised & is so easy to use!

I have been searching for something like this since April of 2022. 9 months later I finally find an obscure mention of this app. I figured I'd try it. I was very skeptical. Within a half hour I bought the pro version. Very impressed! Allows me to selectively clamp down on data usage of any app in my device including system apps. If I can figure it out, anybody can. Thank you so much!

What's new

* Small improvements
* Updated build tools
* Updated translations